No one being above the rule of law
In 2017, the then General Rawat spoke about “2.5 Fronts” on more than one occasion[1]. He referred to China and Pakistan accounting for 1+1 and the internal security threats to be 0.5 front. At the time, the situation in Kashmir had worsened with insurgents crossing from the allegedly illegal Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and terrorizing anyone who did not succumb to their ideology. It was tacitly done with the support of the then J&K government using the façade of “temporary” Article 370. General Rawat remarked, “The 0.5 front was hazy in the past. But over in the past 10 years, the fog cleared in many angles and the 0.5 front has started to expose itself & more will get exposed in the future.” He was perhaps referring to the Kashmir valley in particular.
To put things in the political context, the haziness of 0.5 front was during the UPA regime, led by Sonia Gandhi’s Congress for nearly 10 years before Modi became Prime Minister in 2014. Since then, India’s military was empowered to “clear the fog” and deal with the insurgency with full combative strength in the spirit of, “more (of 0.5 front) will get exposed in the future.” Obviously, Kashmir is a lot more peaceful today because of a decisive Parliamentary decision of invoking Article 370 and 35A and increased surveillance against the infiltrators. Interesting to note that Modi has already announced holding a G-20 summit in Kashmir in 2023, a strategy and political acumen to showcase the peaceful and developing Kashmir to the global leaders.
Fast forwarding, it is my assessment that India’s security threats have doubled from 2.5 fronts then, to 5.0 fronts in the short few years. The times have changed for the better if we look at India being an emerging economic and political power but worsened with the increased incidences of violence, arson, killing, and/ or threats to kill without consequences by one group of people belonging to the so-called peace-loving Islam against others. It started in 2014 but got intensified since the reelection of Modi in 2019. I believe, the size, nature, and variety of threats by internal enemies have increased significantly. At the same time, the undue influence of foreign powers has risen in an effort to destabilize the duly elected desi, dharmic, and democratic government.
Why Desi?
Until 2014, most earlier governments were led by the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty with a colonial mindset. The British Raj had just changed to the “Brown-Raj” and continued for decades to India’s detriment. The partition was accepted for the ego satisfaction of one individual – Gandhi, a huge mistake in hindsight. The focus of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty was their own image and little on building the nation. Today’s leadership strives for development for all at home while taking India forward as a global power. I use “Desi” to be very inclusive to preserve, respect, and recognize India’s legitimate citizens of religious, ethnic, and cultural pluralism under one Constitution and rule of law. Desis don’t include many unlawful, for example, Bangladeshis who have infiltrated in masses in Assam, East Bengal, and elsewhere. Reportedly, they are creating more nuisance with the support of many Muslim citizens of India.
Why Dharmic?
For the first time since independence, there is a sense of revival and renaissance of Sanatan Dharma in spite of the growing resistance and violence by anti-Dharma forces discussed below. The ancient Hindu Rashtra, in a state of deep slumber for nearly 1400 years, is at least coming out of inertia. The followers of Sanatan Dharma are taking pride in their heritage, culture, and Dharma once again including big projects like Ram Mandir to changing the names of cities and streets to restore the historical truth and glory of Dharma and Bharat.
Clearly, changing times and the nature of threats necessitate reimagining India’s peace, stability, and security more broadly than General Rawat, a military strategist. His assessment of threats from China and Pakistan continues with India’s increased readiness to face both of them. The fact is that none of them have made any serious attempts to attack India except the hostilities now and then. It speaks volumes for India’s military, political, and economic muscle globally which is keeping both China and Pakistan at bay.
Why “the 5.0 Fronts?”
The threats on LOC and LAC being equal to 1.0 front each allows us to use our judicious judgment to proportionality quantify other perceived threats. For example, the widespread anarchy, violence, stone pelting, merciless killing, etc., across many parts of India by a particular cast of characters, including reduced but reminiscent killings and violence in Kashmir, necessitates that we take this internal threat as seriously and thus at least 1.0 front. This simply suggests that internal threats require continuous monitoring by the Home Ministry and innovative modern tools such as the use of drones etc., as needed.
As one scans the current political and social climate, one cannot ignore the widespread incidences of repeated violence, damage to property, and threatening lives across India. The irresponsible, irrational, and incompetent politicians not only make poorly thought-out statements but exploit the youth and poverty-stricken people to come to the streets not even knowing the issues. The journalists have no ethics and independence for speaking the truth. They say what pleases their masters – mostly the politicians from yesteryears. Some of these journalists have found refuge in Western media outlets that can’t stomach India rising and shining. Social media, while a positive influence on democratic values, has gone wild with fast, fake, and false narratives to threaten the democracy it should preserve.
The foreign powers are increasingly trying to influence India’s foreign policy and meddle in India’s internal affairs. It is inclusive of direct diplomatic channels, political pressures with a threat of economic sanctions, and cutting economic and military hardware and software aid in critical areas. Many countries are also using the indirect voices of the so-called independent foundations and individuals to influence India’s social fabric.
The less obvious than most other fronts is India’s judiciary in the most egregious behavior ever seen before. I realize, it is very rare and unlikely to repeat itself but it better not be ignored as times are changing. We must take note of what we saw and continue to monitor this internal front, nevertheless.
Accordingly, a simple-minded list of threats (in addition to China and Pakistan) and how much they constitute toward the “5.0 Fronts” are listed below. The companion article articulates those threats, internal as well as external, a bit further.
- Growing jihadi and Islamic fundamentalism in India =1.0 front.
- Lutyens and leftist journalism, social media, and political activism = 1.0 front.
- Undue influence by foreign powers = 0.5 Front.
- Foreign NGOs= 0.25 Front.
- India’s judiciary= 0.25 Front.
In conclusion, we owe credit to India’s celebrated General Rawat where it belongs. He was later appointed the first Chief of Defence Staff for his bold views and stating what made India’s border safer against the enemies. He was the first to use his military strategies to identify and quantify internal security threats as important and critical as the LOC and LAC borders.
As the world and India are changing around us for the better such as surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and for the worse due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war affecting everyone, we must remain guarded against the unwelcome man-made or naturally induced conditions. India need not fear the doubling of 2.5 Fronts but remain alert and increase readiness to combat the lawlessness, people’s erratic and violent behavior, and rising tensions under India’s Constitution and rule of law. A strong and clear message of no one being above the rule of law is the need of the hour.
To be continued…
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
Reference:
[1] “2.5 Front War & Enemy within”-General Bipin Rawat and how he Made IAF as world’s most lethal force. – Dec 10, 2021, NRI Herald
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Formerly, a researcher in Italy, Japan, and France, he has widely travelled and came to the US in 1978. He was a faculty and academic administrator in several different universities in PA, TX, NJ, MN, WI, and NY, and an Executive Fellow in the White House S&T Policy during the Clinton administration.
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Very well written article. Looking forward for the part 2+. The threat of Pak and China still exist and so we add these to the 5 listed we have total of 7 and not 5threats? However, with the proposed change in the judiciary and aggressive external and internal affairs the last two 0.25 threats will /can be addressed. With the eventual bankruptcy of Pak, which is likely to happen sooner, Pak threat will likely to reduce significantly. As long we can keep china at bay at the boarders and be vigilant there is a great likely hood of china falling with its face down because of the situations it has created and creating itself. If the current govt. manage to lead the country for next 10-15 years, and if we can manage our soft power aggressively, the 0.5 threat from the foreign soli will likely vanish. That leaves the the 2 most dangerous threats coming from the internal sources. How to tackle them needs strategic thinking and decisive action.